Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani upon his arrival to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) 41st Summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, January 5.
Qatar’s ruling emir arrived Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for a summit of Gulf leaders that follows the announcement of Saudi Arabia lifting its years-long embargo on Qatar.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the tarmac at the airport in the Saudi city of Al-Ula.
The two sides are expected to sign an agreement opening airspace and land and sea borders at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. Saudi King Salman will chair the gathering.
The diplomatic dispute began in 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar. The four countries accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge Doha denied.
Kuwait and the United States have been working to end the dispute, which Washington has argued hinders efforts to contain Iran.
Reuters news agency reports that senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, along with Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and special State Department adviser Brian Hook, will attend the signing ceremony in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, citing a senior Trump administration official.